Sharmila promises better deal to ryots

Gangineni (Krishna): The YSR Congress leader, Y S Sharmila, here on Tuesday promised to extend better deal to farmers once the party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy became Chief Minister of the State after the next elections.

Sharmila interacted with farmers and women here as part of her Maro Praja Prasthanam and assured them of all help from the government. She said that Jaganmohan Reddy would give top priority to agriculture sector and also for the development of women.

The women complained to her that the loans at 25 paise rate of interest were not being extended to them. They also told her that the banks were not releasing their loans and were insisting on them to deposit a minimum of Rs 1.25 lakh. They further complained to her that the banks were also charging Rs 1.25 rate of interest on the loans given to them.

The farmers told Sharmila that the prices of cotton and chillies have come down in the last four years. They said that the cotton which was sold above Rs 5,000 a quintal was now being sold at less than Rs 3,000.

Similarly, chillies' prices too have come down from Rs 11,000 and more to less than Rs 5,000. They alleged that middle men were exploiting the farmers as the government turned a blind eye to the farmers woes.

Replying to the farmers and women, Sharmila told them that Jaganmohan Reddy would take care of their interests and wanted them to wait till then. She told them that Jaganmohan Reddy's government would create a price stabilization fund with Rs 3,000 crore corpus fund to address the problems of the farmers.

She asserted that only Jaganmohan Reddy would solve their problems and has the vision to continue the welfare programmes of late Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. The YSR Congress Krishna district convener, Samineni Udaya Bhanu and other leaders were present during her tour.